Maybe the Buffalo Sabres are starting to play better under interim coach Ron Rolston. Or maybe it was simply the presence of the 19 parents or mentors who accompanied the team on its two-game Florida swing this week.

Whatever the reason, the Sabres have won back-to-back games for the first time in almost three weeks.

Thomas Vanek and Jason Pominville scored in the shootout Thursday night, and the Sabres defeated the Florida Panthers 4-3 at BB&T Center.

It came two nights after a 2-1 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

“I think we need our parents to stick with us,” Pominville said jokingly. “Honestly, it’s huge to be able to stick a couple in a row here. If we want to make a run, we’re going to have to keep doing that. You can’t go win one, lose one, win one, lose two. You’ve got to get on a roll.

“Ron has made some adjustments, made some changes. He said from the get-go it might take some time, but we’re slowly starting to get results.”

Pominville clinched the victory in the second round of the shootout after Buffalo goalie Ryan Miller stopped Jonathan Huberdeau and Peter Mueller.

Vanek and Pominville scored almost the exact same way, with a wrist shot above the pad to the stick side against left-handed Jose Theodore.

“You’re not used to seeing a goalie that catches the other side too often,” Pominville said. “I was able to see a little bit of what he was showing on the video when Thomas went. I mean, the hole was there, so I decided to shoot there.”

http://www.nhl.com/ice/recap.htm?id=2012020292

Red-hot Ladd scores twice for Jets in win over Devils

Andrew Ladd’s scorching production has allowed the Winnipeg Jets to survive their power play spending February in hibernation. Ladd continued his hot scoring in February, firing home two more goals against the New Jersey Devils on Thursday night to lead the Jets to a 3-1 win before 15,015 at MTS Centre.

Ladd’s second of the game with 8:01 to go in the third period snapped a 1-1 tie and helped the Jets break their four-game home losing streak. Ladd began his evening with a goal eight seconds into the contest and finished the month with 10 goals in 13 games.

Winnipeg’s captain acknowledged the Jets had to grind out the win, but added “at the end of the day, you take the win, you take the two points and the good feeling and move on.”

Ladd also had an assist on Blake Wheeler’s empty-net goal with 35.8 seconds remaining. Ladd, whose 12 goals lead the Jets and tie him for third overall in the League, owns a pair of two-goal games and two three-point outings this season.

“I think that right now our team is certainly driven by him,” Jets coach Claude Noel said of his captain. “He leads by example. He has won two [Stanley] Cups, and you can see why.”

Goaltender Ondrej Pavelec assumed the franchise goaltending lead in games, making his 205th appearance and stopping 22 shots for the Jets, who have a win in five of their past six contests to slide them into eighth place in the Eastern Conference. Winnipeg moved above .500 for the first time since Jan. 31.

Noel praised Pavelec, who stopped Patrik Elias and Bobby Butler on point-blank opportunities in the first period, calling his goaltender’s work “outstanding.”

“I think he’s in a good groove,” Noel said. “I’m really happy with how he is playing.”

http://www.nhl.com/ice/recap.htm?id=2012020293&navid=sb:recap

This Day In Sabres History:

March 2, 2007 Sabres Get 2 Goals from Ryan and Vanek in 8-5 victory over the Canadiens

On this day 6 years ago was the finest moment in Michael Ryan’s Sabres Career netting 2 goals in the Sabres 8-5 victory over the Montreal Canadiens. Ryan who was a First Round Pick in 1999 was traded by the Dallas Stars to the Sabres in 2003 for Sabres Captain Stu Barnes. Ryan would only record 7 goals in 65 games played in a Sabres uniform. The Sabres also got 2 goals from Thomas Vanek and single markers from Dmitri Kalinin, Teppo Numminen, Derek Roy, and Drew Stafford. Ryan Miller got the win making 27 saves on the night.